2018 Formula 1 predictions: Did you guess the best and worst drivers and teams?

By Michael EmonsBBC Sport

Last updated on 21 December 201821 December 2018.From the section Formula 1comments79

Lewis Hamilton (centre) came top of the 2018 Formula 1 drivers' championship, Sebastian Vettel (left) was second, with Kimi Raikkonen third, but is that what you predicted at the start of the season?

It was a thrilling Formula 1 season with great races, controversy, crashes and superb overtakes with Lewis Hamilton showing his brilliance to win the world title for a fifth time.

But how much of it had you predicted way back in March before the first race of the campaign?

Before it all got under way, we asked for your predictions on the top three drivers, the best and worst teams and who would be classed as the worst driver.

So how did you all do?

We have crunched the numbers and these are the results...

Drivers' Champion: Your predictions

What happened?

It looked like being an epic battle between Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, with the German holding an eight-point lead after the British Grand Prix in July.

But Lewis Hamilton raced away to win the title, just as 71.2% of you predicted. There were 1.4% of you who were extremely optimistic and tipping Fernando Alonso to win a world title at McLaren. In the end he came 11th with his McLaren so uncompetitive the Spaniard decided to leave Formula 1 altogether.

Drivers' Championship runner-up: Your predictions

What happened?

That's two out of two. Sebastian Vettel was backed by 39.5% of you to come second and that is exactly what he did, finishing 88 points behind Hamilton. The Ferrari man won the first two races of the season - in Australia and Bahrain - and gained further victories in Canada, at Silverstone and in Belgium, but no wins in his last eight races of the season left him well behind Mercedes' Hamilton.

Drivers' Championship third place: Your predictions

What happened?

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen came third, finishing two points clear of Max Verstappen, who had been backed by 27% of you to take that third spot.

The Finn won his first race in more than five years at the United States Grand Prix, although it came after he had already been dropped by Ferrari for next season, with him swapping seats with Sauber's Charles Leclerc in 2019.

Constructors' Champions: Your predictions

What happened?

This was never going to be in doubt. Mercedes, for the fifth successive year, became Constructors' Champions - just as a whopping 76.5% of you said they would. They picked up 655 points throughout the season - 408 from Hamilton and 247 from his team-mate (and "wingman", as team boss Toto Wolff called him) Valtteri Bottas.

Constructors' Championship runners-up: Your predictions

What happened?

With so many of you opting for Mercedes to be champions, it was only natural that Ferrari were tipped to come second. That is what 52.3% of you said would happen - and it did. They ended on 571 points - 84 less than Mercedes - with Vettel picking up 320 points and Raikkonen 251.

Constructors' Championship third place: Your predictions

What happened?

The Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo both won two races in 2018, but a number of race retirements, including eight for the Australian, left the team floundering in third, just as 58.1% of you predicted at the start of the season.

Drivers' Championship last place: Your predictions

What happened?

This is where the crystal ball got a bit blurry. Sauber had been absolutely rubbish in 2017 and a lot of you expected them to be clogging up the back of the grid every race again. Charles Leclerc, in his debut Formula 1 season, was tipped by 30.8% to be the worst driver (including by me), with team-mate Marcus Ericsson the second-most popular option. Instead, Leclerc surprised everyone and ended 13th - a performance that has led to him racing for Ferrari in 2019.

But it was another debutant, Sergey Sirotkin at Williams, who took the dubious honour of finishing bottom of the pile. He picked up just a solitary point, in Italy, and even that came when he finished outside the top 10 but benefitted from Romain Grosjean's disqualification to ensure all 20 drivers got at least one point.

Team Championship last place: Your predictions

What happened?

Sauber, backed by 60.7% of you to come last, proved the critics wrong by finishing eighth. Only 4% of you could have guessed that it would be a nightmare season for Williams as they came last with only seven points in 21 races, with Lance Stroll picking up four of them in one go by coming eighth in Azerbaijan, one of only three top-10 finishes for Williams in 2018.

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79 comments

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Owen

23:42 22 Dec 2018

I have plenty of hopes rather than predictions.Hope the championship is between more than 2 drivers. Hope the fight goes right to the last race. Hope there is a decent amount of overtaking in every race.

But predict that it will be much of the same.

One last hope - that Leclerc shows his full potential in a competitive car and mixes things up at the front.

Roger the Alien

22:40 22 Dec 2018

@76. Posted by F1Knowledge"72, your post at 74 shows that you agree with me."

Nope, just pointing out that with a Honda PU in the back of the RBR expect plenty of DNFs next season.

"To finish first, you first have to finish".

VDU881

22:17 22 Dec 2018

My hys predictions for 2019:

Someone will say they're never watching F1 again.

Someone will claim that, it, along with every sport except football, isn't a sport.

Someone will point out that they don't like Hamilton, and believe this matters.

F1Knowledge

19:58 22 Dec 2018

72, your post at 74 shows that you agree with me.

F1Knowledge

19:52 22 Dec 2018

57, lol. You think I'd replace one lie for a more elaborate lie?

You are the child being told about santa and his elves by the f1 pr machine.

You'll learn in time.

Engineers rule your world. Tough. :)

Roger the Alien

19:39 22 Dec 2018

@4. Posted by slayer"Prediction for next season: 1. Verstappen..."

Not unless RBR switch to Mercedes or Ferrari PUs over the winter...

Roger the Alien

19:31 22 Dec 2018

@21. Posted by Errrrmmmm"Any views on FE out there? Gave it a whirl last weekend, felt it was only missing turtle shells, banana skins and a certain Italian plumber..."

I enjoyed the first 4 seasons, but the introduction of "attack mode" is stretching the sport's credibility to breaking point.

Next they'll have a ramp pop up to launch cars over the top of the one in front...

Roger the Alien

19:17 22 Dec 2018

@46: Do you deliberately post twaddle just to try and get the most downvoted post on F1 HYSs?

There's no prize for that you know... :-/

Roger the Alien

Yes, and just look at $ky's viewing figures. Been on the slide pretty much since they started showing F1. They'll doubtless pick up a few viewers next year, but I don't see the trend continuing in any direction but down.

As long as BT Sport don't pick it up if $ky drop it.

Zephyr

19:03 22 Dec 2018

@69 Maybe he was on the catwalk later that evening? He then insulted his home town! OK, his comments were fairly true as many seem to spend the day there going between Gregg's and McD's!